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Author Topic: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes  (Read 355141 times)

Schwartz

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #480 on: March 08, 2016, 10:57:26 AM »

Trouble with Afflictor is that it's not a support ship, though. It's a powerful assault / interceptor boat that just happens to have a powerful support ability on top of that. It's probably got its perks stacked a little too high; the Shade is inferior across the board, and its EMP isn't as strong as the Afflictor's ability either. Could switch these two. Or make Afflictor's ability a more 'traditional' EMP that works on engines and weapons only.

Maybe the shield-disrupting effect could be influenced by the strength of the shield or the flux pool. High-tech ships are just fodder for well-placed Afflictor scrambles now, and they're the ones who are already disproportionately expensive to deploy and low on the armour stat. That should amount to something; their shields should be more resistant to scrambling. (If they aren't already, I haven't compared tbh)
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Megas

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #481 on: March 08, 2016, 11:00:03 AM »

Torpedo Afflictor can easily destroy one ship unopposed.  I do not use that because it becomes useless after it kills one or two ship, while another ship can solo fleets... after some work.
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Tartiflette

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #482 on: March 08, 2016, 11:05:44 AM »

Are you sure this isn't the case of underestimating it until it was too late? I'd bet you could probably do a lot better replaying that battle a second time. Worst-case scenario, a mass escort formation would make it very difficult for an Afflictor to pick destroyers apart like that.
I have to hand it to you, the Afflictor is pretty smart at positioning itself in the back right where no weapon can hit it and no allied ship will fire either by fear of hitting the destroyer. Still, an AI Afflictor took out 3 AI destroyers each escorted by a frigate before destroying mine. I don't see what I could do differently except using a deathball formation: The most boring strategy there is and one I believe you wanted to avoid from becoming the optimal play.

And all that with a single frigate, I dread the day I'll face several.

Torpedo Afflictor can easily destroy one ship unopposed.  I do not use that because it becomes useless after it kills one or two ship, while another ship can solo fleets... after some work.
That's stil a feat I do not like to see coming from an AI ship...
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CrashToDesktop

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #483 on: March 08, 2016, 07:36:39 PM »

I just got to be able to play the 0.7.2a update and, for the first time, got to see the Mudskipper Mk.II and it's much-spoken about Ill-Advised Modifications.

Least to say, I dropped on the floor and rolled around laughing my guts out for the next 5 minutes.  It's both hilarious and so over-the-top that it's beautiful, absolutely wonderful. :D
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Megas

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #484 on: March 08, 2016, 07:39:46 PM »

I tried Mudskipper II too (armed with Mark IX autocannon).  It is like a mini-Brawler (pre Damper Field version).  No PD, but it can kite with 900 range gun.  At least Ill-Advised Modifications does not permanently kill the lone gun on it.
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ANGRYABOUTELVES

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #485 on: March 08, 2016, 08:25:44 PM »

The Paragon has more than enough OP to run Frontal Shield Emitter and Accelerated Shields, which I actually ran before the phase changes just so I could vent often. Doesn't help the AI much, but the player can limit the damage Afflictors do with proper outfitting.

Phase ships are actually quite vulnerable to faster phase ships with higher flux capacity or more efficient cloaks; i.e. player equipped and piloted phase ships. If you phase after they do and stick close enough to shoot them when they unphase, they'll stay phased until they're forced out by hard flux, and then you can AM Blaster them. Which isn't really an argument against phase ships being too powerful, but it is something you can do to kill them.

I do agree that the Afflictor is perhaps too versatile. You can equip it to be very good at anything you might want a frigate to do, from clearing out fighters to dueling other frigates to harassing capital ships. The Shade at least only has two universal slots, not four, which somewhat limits the uses you can put it to.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2016, 08:28:11 PM by ANGRYABOUTELVES »
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TaLaR

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #486 on: March 08, 2016, 08:39:10 PM »

From what I've seen, there is absolutely nothing that can stop Afflictor that uses correct attack timing from unloading torpedoes into any (large enough) target ship.
Even simple skill-less Afflictor that just fires it's 4 reapers simultaneously with activating system can take away about 75% of simulator Paragon's health. Retreat is also quite safe because most weapons on enemy ship that face Afflictor are disabled by damage.

With maxed missiles skill this probably means killing two Paragons.
Yes, it will have to retreat immediately after, but so what? Hyperion is unlikely to pull that off within CR time constrains at all, while it doesn't even take long with Afflictor.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2016, 08:44:45 PM by TaLaR »
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Dri

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #487 on: March 08, 2016, 09:37:29 PM »

Give it some time guys, feel it fully out and maybe brainstorm some counters before ya pass absolute judgement.
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Thaago

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #488 on: March 08, 2016, 11:23:23 PM »

I have not played around with afflictors yet (been having a blast in a Scarab - that thing is scarily deadly against front shielded destroyers), but if the problem is alpha strike damage, why not change the front mounts away from universal to hybrid?
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TaLaR

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #489 on: March 08, 2016, 11:55:58 PM »

I have not played around with afflictors yet (been having a blast in a Scarab - that thing is scarily deadly against front shielded destroyers), but if the problem is alpha strike damage, why not change the front mounts away from universal to hybrid?

This would be sufficient to solve "one-shot Paragon" extreme case, but ability to land guaranteed hits ignoring all defenses still doesn't feel very balanced. Even Hyperion, which has similar ability to bypass shield by teleportation, is able to do so mostly because of AIs imperfect shield raise timing, not because it is impossible to counter at all.

Plus, mods probably already have some bursty HE ballistic/energy weapons that can work as poor man's reaper to some extent.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2016, 11:57:58 PM by TaLaR »
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Megas

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #490 on: March 09, 2016, 06:32:29 AM »

Give it some time guys, feel it fully out and maybe brainstorm some counters before ya pass absolute judgement.
People have played enough to know what the Afflictor can do.

The only thing stopping torpedo Afflictor from doing too much damage is lack of ammo.  It kills a few ships, then it leaves.  However, I cannot think of anything that can stop it aside from the enemy not deploying a big enough target for it kill.

Fighter heavy fleets are probably not as vulnerable to Afflictors due to few viable targets, but given how weak fighters are, more conventional enemy fleets will tear fighters apart (more easily than non-fighter fleets).

Hyperion, a playership that can stop it, is rare.  Some players may need to resort to save-scumming a deserter fleet to board one late in the game.  I suppose another phase ship could try to stop the Afflictor, probably mirror match.  Thanks to phase cloak's time shift, very few ships can keep up with an Afflictor.  Those that can are rare and fragile enough to die if disrupted then shot for one or two-hit kill.

Afflictor is a "demonic spider".
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ciago92

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #491 on: March 09, 2016, 02:34:55 PM »



Plus, mods probably already have some bursty HE ballistic/energy weapons that can work as poor man's reaper to some extent.

Not sure we should be balancing vanilla game around mod possibilities, but I understand the general thrust of your argument
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Gothars

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #492 on: March 10, 2016, 06:47:36 AM »

It seems as if there are different principles at work when delivering illegal goods. For example, I get official Hegemony missions to deliver organs (which are supposedly illegal), and I can even deliver them with the transponder on, no problem. But when I deliver drugs for some pirates on a Hegemony world I've got to play all sneaky. Am I missing a distinction or is this a bug?
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The game was completed 8 years ago and we get a free expansion every year.

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Histidine

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #493 on: March 10, 2016, 06:51:12 AM »

It seems as if there are different principles at work when delivering illegal goods. For example, I get official Hegemony missions to deliver organs (which are supposedly illegal), and I can even deliver them with the transponder on, no problem. But when I deliver drugs for some pirates on a Hegemony world I've got to play all sneaky. Am I missing a distinction or is this a bug?
The legit recipients are licensed medical staff who need an extra supply through semi-official channels. The pirate ones are black market dealers.
(been that way since 0.7, if the details haven't changed since then)
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Alex

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #494 on: March 10, 2016, 09:22:17 AM »

Right, yeah. The mission description will also specify if clandestine delivery is required; perhaps that bit of text should be highlighted. Made a note.
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